Installation Guide | Bathroom and Shower doors
Follow this step-by-step guide to ensure a smooth installation process. Use the Table of Contents below to jump directly to the section you need. Instructions must be followed for a valid warranty.
📑 Table of Contents
1. Receiving
- Interior door frames ship with the door slab together inside the same crate.
- Inspect your door immediately after delivery.
- Report any damage to Pinky’s Iron Doors Customer Service within 3 days.
- Keep all original packaging for potential returns.
2. Storage & Handling
- Handle doors with at least 2 people.
- Store in a dry, covered area with fabric padding.
- Remove packaging immediately; do not store with shipping materials.
- Keep doors dry and wipe away moisture promptly.
- Never leave doors uncovered on an active job site before installation.
3. Tools Required
Tools Required: Only use scissors when opening the packaging for your doors, windows, and frames. Do not use razor blades or knives, as sharp blades can scratch or damage the painted finish. Metal has flex which can only be found by using a small 12-inch level and is the only correct level that must be used to accurately read the designated leveling points.
Tools Not to Use: Avoid razor blades, knives, levels longer then 12 inches, laser levels, straight edges, and wood shims. At every leveling point, use two opposing plastic shims for proper adjustment. Wood shims will crack and compress and are not suitable for our doors. Straight edges and rulers are not accurate tools of measurement for our doors since every door is hand forged and made without straight lines. Laser levels, and long levels will not find the flex in our doors during installation.
Tools to use
Tools not to use
4. Rough Opening Requirements
- Rough opening should be a minimum 1/8 inch wider and taller than the finished opening.
- Ensure the opening is plumb, level, and square on every side only using a 12 inch level.
- Make sure there’s solid wood, concrete, or a solid surface where the frame screws will go so they can be secured.
- If you’re installing over finished flooring, account for floor height differences that secure flush bolts double doors.
5. Frame Installation
Before you start installing your door frame, make sure your rough opening is plumb, level, and square. Use only plastic shims at the leveling points.
- Use only a 12-inch level when installing. Laser levels and long levels are not sufficient.
- Always use plastic shims; wood shims compress over time.
- If using spray foam, it must be low-expanding and applied by a professional.
- Only blue vinyl painter’s tape on doors/frames before tile and grout
- Replace tape regularly if exposed to sunlight.
- If duct tape needed, apply blue painter’s tape first.
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Always keep the metal frame slightly elevated from any tile or concrete floor by 1/8th minimum due to water and moisture.
- Do not allow standing water to sit on or under the metal frame.
- Avoid any chemicals on the product, only use Pinkys iron door spray.
- Always surface mount metal products; never mount the product and run tile up to the frame as this creates trapped moisture.
- Strongly recommended to use 100% silicone and not any water based bathroom silicone. Blue tape before using this type of silicone.
Step 1: Locate the Pre-Drilled Holes
Every interior frame comes with pre-drilled holes to make installation quick and easy. These holes are designed for securing the frame to your rough opening or attaching it to sidelights, transoms, or other panels.
Use plastic shims at all leveling points for accurate placement. Make sure the frame is flush on the hinge side to allow full 180° swing and a flush aesthetic look.
Step 2: Secure the Frame
Some pre-drilled holes extend through to the outside wall and serve as the primary mounting points. Use #12 screws (not included) at these locations to ensure the frame is properly anchored. The included M5 × 15 screws are intended for attaching sidelights or transoms.
Step 3: Proper Silicone Placement
Fill screw holes with 100% silicone before inserting a screw into the hole and tightening. Silicone sealant must be applied on both sides around the perimeter along the inside and outside bottom seam of the door and frame to create a watertight barrier that directs water back into the shower. The outside bottom seam must remain unsealed to prevent moisture from becoming trapped inside the steel.
Step 4: Verify Curb Slope
The shower curb must be constructed with a slight slope to avoid water pulling or water leaking in areas where water should not be. Ensure no water pulling on metal.
Troubleshooting
- If the door is not flush, adjust shims at corners.
- Ensure all screws are snug but not over-tightened.
- Minor gaps can be corrected with small adjustments to frame or shims.
6. Door Panel Installation
Each hinge on our doors comes with a single brass washer. These washers are not meant to be used as shims.
To fix a door that isn’t closing smoothly:
- Recheck the frame’s level at each point using a 12-inch level.
- Use plastic shims to adjust where needed.
Apply petroleum grease to the bullet hinges, carefully hang the door, cycle it a few times, then recheck all leveling points.
7. Care & Maintenance
✅ Regular maintenance keeps doors functioning perfectly. Clean monthly with Pinkys Iron door spray and lubricate hinges yearly with any petroleum grease. For showers or bathrooms that do not have proper ventilation, always vent the door and room and ensure the door has access to plenty of ventilation after every use.
- Vacuum dust/debris after installation.
- Protect doors with blue vinyl painter’s tape only.
- After construction, remove tape and wipe down with Pinkys Iron + Steel Clean Protect Spray.
8. Troubleshooting
1. Our doors are designed with real, solid metal craftsmanship. Because we apply high heat during welding, the metal shifts slightly during the cooling process and contracts, which means you might notice tiny subtle variations rather than straight lines. This is normal and part of the handcrafting character of our doors. We could force perfect straightness but it would require lots of filler and would compromise the honest metal design. So when you see slight, gentle curvature or variation, rest assured it’s intentional and built into the process.
2. Do not use a level or straight edge on the hinge to check door alignment. The hinge is not a measuring point for our doors. Hinges act as pivot points and are not designed to be perfectly straight. Because of this, placing a level or straight edge on the hinge will always give a false reading. To confirm proper alignment, check the frame is level using a 12 inch level and has the correct clearance gaps around the frame. Adjust shims as needed at the (X) points listed above.
3. If the door rubs, or locks do not align, check frame leveling with a 12-inch level, shim points, and clearance gaps (1/8 or larger). Adjust hardware and shims as needed.
